Everlasting Masquerade
by midorimouse7
Summary: An ex-Summer Court fey. Rebellious Dark Court Faeries. What compelled someone to ever say Forks was a peaceful place?
1. Chapter 1

Angela watched mournfully as yet another leaf fell off the tree. Summer was once again coming to an end, forcing her to remember her long abandoned past. Just remembering those days made Angela sigh. Out of sadness or relief she still was not sure. She knew too well that for all those enticements there was evil lurking, even if that evil was masked.

'Enough,' Angela scolded herself. 'The past is in the past. There is nothing here that can force me to return.'

But of course that was a lie, a lie that she all too well knew.

***

Absence. A feeling Jasper was not all too familiar with. It was unnatural and strange in a way that at the same time was bliss. His gaze followed the rest of the patients and yet Jasper felt nothing. These people felt no emotion, harboured no feelings, the sight was unsettling.

Jasper only came at the request of Carlisle. He said zombie-like patients were turning up and he wanted Jasper to find out if they were in pain. But these mindless people simply stayed in their beds. Never feeling as the hospital staff awaited their needs.

Jasper exited the room as he went in search of his "father". He saw him talking with one of the nurses as Jasper approached...

"Oh, hello Jasper," said the young nurse.

The wave of embarrassment hit jasper as he leaned towards Carlisle. "I'll explain everything in the house. I think Edward will need to come."

"Well," said Carlisle," Yes, it's best that you take off."

Jasper gave a curt nod at both Carlisle and the nurse as he made his way out of the hospital and towards the parking lot.

'Who said that Forks would be an uneventful place to live in?'

**AN: **I know this chapter is so pathetically short but it is just an intro. I just want to see how people will react to the story.

Just for the people who don't know this will be a _Twilight_ and _Wicked_ _Lovely_ cross over. I don't really like _Twilight_ but I like _Wicked_ _Lovely_ and Twilight seemed like the best place to use for a crossover.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

The whole family had gathered to hear of the new predicament going on in the hospital. Each member of the Cullen family was in the living room waiting and watching. They all sat attentively as Jasper explained what he felt-or rather the lack of.

"How strange," commented Carlisle thoughtfully as he stared off at a nearby wall. "Edward do you think you can have a look at them?"

"If you want I'll go tomorrow," he agreed.

"What I find strange," Alice said, "Is that I never saw this coming. Something this big should have been shown to me."

"Maybe," Bella offered, "Maybe they're like the werewolves. You can't see their future."

"But they are not werewolves and I've only known of werewolves affecting my visions," said Alice.

"Yes but there is a first time for everything," said Rosalie as she looked over towards Renesmee.

***

"How strange," Edward said as he stood in front of a patient. The still, pale body stood rigid as Edward stood in front of it. The patients eyes seemed void of any emotion, of any sign if life.

"What's strange," said Carlisle.

"Their thoughts. All they think about is a tattoo," Edward said quietly.

"Know that I think about it," Carlisle said slowly, "All these patients have very strange tattoos."

"But what can the connection be?"

"I don't know Edward, I don't know."

***

Angela was sitting peacefully in her car as she drove around back to her house. Her eyes were on the road when a dark moving mass caught her attention. From the trees, the shadows seemed to come to life. She watched as the shadows swayed to a non-existent melody, moving in perfect harmony.

"Just like in faerie raves," said Angela.

"I see you still remember your roots," a male voice said from her side shaking her from her reverie.

Angela felt her lungs stop. She froze as the car came to an abrupt stop. Angela closed her eyes willing her head to turn to her side.

"You can open your eyes, you know. It's not like you've never seen me before," the male voice said in an amused tone.

"That's exactly why I don't want to open my eyes," Angela muttered.

"I see life has been suiting you. Tell me what do you do for excitement in this small town? Are the raves here as...passionate as the ones back home?"

Angela glared at him as she forced her self to continue going down the road. They stayed in silence until Angela couldn't stand it anymore. Silence was never good when it involved _him_.

"Keenan just tell me why you are here," Angela finally said.

"Finally! I was starting to think I would have to do something drastic to get you to finally speak to me."

"Could you cut the drama and et to the point," grumbled Angela.

"Tsk-tsk," chided Keenan. "You can't rush nature. Well let's see, where to begin? Ah! I know, I'll start when my new lovely Queen—"

Angela cut him off as she skidded the car to a stop.

"Now Angela, you need to be careful. There are people you might run over," said Keenan.

"Don't patronize me," snapped Angela, "And repeat that part about the new Queen."

"Keenan flashed a dazzling smile as he began to explain, "Queen, as in my Queen. She broke my mother's curse. Surely you remember the curse that was placed on me."

"How can I forget," Angela said as she thought back to the time when she carried the winter's chill. "What's her name?"

"Her name is Aislinn but she prefers to go by the name of Ash."

"Well good to see you are as charming as ever," Angela said.

Keenan eyes flashed momentarily, something Angela was quick to notice. Years of spending time with Keenan told her not to press him so she kept quiet. After all gossip was in the blood stream in the land of faerie so Angela would find out eventually.

"As I was saying," Keenan continued, "When Ash became queen the Summer Court was in a...less than desired state. Because of this we failed to notice that in the Dark Court something was afoot."

"Naturally," Keenan said, "Now that we have found out we are striving to stop what the Dark Court is doing."

"And what is it that they are doing?" asked Angela.

"Well," Keenan began, "You are aware of how the Dark Court faeries get power, are you not?" Angela nodded and Keenan went on, "Well it seems that Irial developed a way to target people to get even more power out of them."

Angela had a look of disdain as she recalled the bestial ways of the Dark Court. To think that they found a way to create even more chaos made her stomach churn in protest.

"And what did they create?"

"Bonding tattoos."

_**A/N: I know that I promised to get this out quick but after writing for a bit I hit this huge writer's block. So I was faced with 2 decisions: Submit a crappy short chapter or stall for a bit and submit a longer one (that hopefully is not crappy). So I'm terribly sorry for such a long wait. Oh and I know this chapter is not much longer but I am working on making the chapters a bit longer. **_


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

Angela looked horror-struck at the thought of bonding tattoos. Her voice stuttered as she tried-and failed-to find a way to voice her discomfort.

"I know," was all that Keenan said, but to Angela those words were enough. That simple statement made the cruelness in bonding tattoos all the more real.

"The why are you here? Shouldn't you be doing something against Irial," Angela said.

"Angela," Keenan said slowly, "Surely you have noticed that something strange has been going on. It's such a small town; gossip must have reached you by now. Have you not heard rumours?"

"Apparently I didn't get the memo," Angela said irritably, "Could you stop making me feel like an idiot and tell what's going on!"

"The people who are bonding are in this very town."

Angela felt her eyes widen with shock with her breath caught in her mouth, she could do nothing but stare at Keenan.

"Are you sure," Angela said quietly.

"Positive."

"Can you show me?"

Keenan stared at her for a moment when at last he sighed and said, "Drive towards the hospital."

All the Cullens, save Renesmee who was spending her time with Jacob, were busy flipping through their library while trying to find an explanation for the peculiar that Forks now held.

"Maybe we are looking at looking at the wrong angle," said Emmett, "Maybe its just a normal human thing. It could be a new drug that is transferred through tattoos."

"Then why can't I feel their emotion?" said Jasper.

"Never mind," said Emmett.

"I could go check on them again," offered Edward, "They might give some clues if I listen long enough."

"You have a point," said Esme, "Call if anything comes up."

Edward nodded as he made his way towards car. Alice smiled as she saw Edward drive away.

"I think we'll get our answers soon enough."

"This is unbelievable," whispered Angela as she stared at the zombie-like patients.

"Is there a cure?"

Keenan sighed as he thought of a good way to answer. "Well," he began, "fortunately or unfortunately , depending on your point of view, there is in theory one cure."

"Well," Angela demanded, "Where is it? Or do you enjoy watching humans in misery?"

"Angela you know already know my views on humans—"

"Well now this is an interesting conversation," a soft voice interrupted Keenan.

Both Angela and Keenan whirled around only to find themselves face to face with Edward.

"Oh no," Angela moaned as she buried her face into her hands, " This can't be happening. This must be a bad dream. A nightmare more like it since Keenan is here—"

"Hey!"

"-Any minute now I'm going to wake up and—"

"Angela, sorry to stop your ramble but you're going to have to come with me," said Edward.

"Why?" both Keenan and Angela said in surprise.

"Because it seems that we all have some explaining to do."

"What gives you the right to question us. Because it seems to me that we have done nothing to warrant a questioning," said Keenan.

"Well my father works in this hospital and Angela is a friend of my wife. I think that warrants some questioning," said Edward.

"What if we said no," aid Angela.

"Well then it would gets complicated. I can't force you to come with me but it be better if you both came with me."

"What would we gain from coming with you. If I'm going to give up some information I expect to get something in return," Keenan said angrily.

"Well I suppose you have a point. Why don't we settle this at my house. You answer a few of my questions and I'll answer a few of your questions."

Angela and Keenan glanced at each other. Sure they were in the middle of an argument but Angela could always weasel answers out of Keenan at some other time. The chance to get some answers from a Cullen was another story, and this was a chance Angela was not going to miss. That and she wanted to see Bella again. Keenan and Angela nodded as they followed Edward Cullen out the doors.

**A/N: I am sorry for neglecting this story and all my other fics but Senior year took up, well all year. I am currently working on all my fan fictions as well as developing new ideas. I plan to finish up my Next Generation fic this summer and add to this one AND Wyrd. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Meeting the Cullen's**

Edward walked slowly towards the parking lot, scanning the skies as if searching for answers. Neither Keenan nor Angela seemed inclined to stop him as they just stood behind him and watched. Without warning Edward turned back causing Angela to stumble back.

"Hey! A little warning would be nice," said Keenan as he held Angela by her shoulders. Angela steadied herself before she wriggled out of Keenan's hands.

Edward frowned and said, "I'm sorry Angela. I didn't know you were that close behind me."

"I'm fine," Angela muttered as she swept past both Keenan and Edward to make her way to the car, "Well? Are you coming or not?"

Both of the males followed her to the car, each intending to ride shotgun. They walked as fast as they could without giving away to the use of outside forces.

"Boys," muttered Angela as she took out her keys and placed them on her door. She opened the door and pushed the unlock button as she stepped inside her car. She placed the keys in the ignition and turned on the car.

Keenan and Edward jumped at the sudden noise before they both took a dive for the front door. Angela simply sighed at their immature actions before she rolled down the passenger window.

"Look, I really don't want to have an interrogation and would gladly drive off and leave you two alone. Sadly I need Keenan so that really isn't an option, so both of you just get in the back seats!" Angela shouted the last part.

"Angela," said a hurt Keenan, "After all we have gone through don't you think I deserve to be the one sitting next to you? Who knows what this Edward can do to you?"

Edward cried out in defense but Angela cut him off, "I trust him. And I trust you. That's why I am placing you both in the back seats."

With that Edward and Keenan climbed onto the back seats and waited in silence as Angela backed out of the parking lot.

"You want us to go to your house?" asked Angela as she tried to recalled the directions to the Cullens place.

"That would be best," agreed Edward.

"Is your family awaiting our arrival?" said Keenan.

"I think so. Alice probably knows which means the whole family knows."

"You tell your sister but not your wife?" said Angela incredulously.

"I've known Alice longer," Edward pointed out, "Alice also tends to be more apt at getting information from others. Bella is much more patient."

Angela thought it over and gave a nod in agreement. She then continued to watch the road as she made her way to the Cullen's house.

"You sure are out of the way," commented Keenan, "Do the townspeople not reach your taste?"

"We like privacy," Edward said simply.

"Should we wait in the car or go up with you?" said Angela.

"You should just come with me. It would be easier that way," said Edward.

Edward exited the car and was slowly followed by Keenan and Angela. Keenan took Angela's hand as he walked the path to the door as if protecting her from the unknown. Edward stopped at the door before hesitantly knocking it softly. The door wretched open, so quickly that Angela could have sworn it opened not even a second after the knock.

"Edward! Did you bring them? I will be very cross with you if you let them get away," said a short brunette as she bounced in her spot.

"Alice, hush. The family is in the sitting room?" said Edward as he made his way inside. Angela and Keenan looked at each other before Alice grabbed their hands and dragged them inside.

"It is nice to see you again Angela. Who is your friend?" said Alice.

"Just someone I know," said Angela while Keenan shook his head in disagreement. Alice led them to a sitting room where the entire Cullen family was awaiting. Angela was shocked to see that Bella looked so different. Could a few months really cause this much change?

"Hello Angela. It's nice to see you again," said Bella quietly. Angela smiled at her and nodded her head and looked at Keenan for further instructions. With a quick jerk to the head Angela stood to his right and looked at the center coffee table and prepared for conversation.

Carlisle was the first to speak as he politely offered his guest some seats.

"No thank you," Keenan said, "I prefer to stay up, if you don't mind."

"Would you like anything to drink," said Esme.

"No thank you. We really just want to get this over with," Angela said awkwardly.

"Well I guess we should start as to why you were at the hospital," said Carlisle.

"I heard rumors," said Keenan.

"Rumors?" said Edward.

"About people in a coma-like sate," elaborated Keenan, "I asked Angela about it but she knew nothing of it. I wanted to see if the rumors were true so I asked her to take me to the hospital. We were there for less than 5 minutes before you came in."

"Why were you addressing the patients as 'humans'," said Jasper.

"It is what they are," stated Keenan.

"You made it sound as if you are not human," added Rosalie.

"Speaking from experience?" sneered Keenan. The result was immediate. Everyone tensed up and Emmett snarled at Keenan. Carlisle looked at for a second before sending a look at his children. They calmed down, or at least they stopped snarling, before Carlisle put his attention back on Keenan.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I was speaking to Angela in a really low voice. One no person of ordinary hearing would be able to hear at the distant that Edward was in. Either the hospital carries voices out or you are hiding something."

"You seem to hide something as well," Jasper pointed out.

"I am also a guest. It would be rude of the host to demand answers of the guest without first providing something in return," Keenan said coldly.

"Keenan stop," Angela said quietly. The room all turned to stare at the young girl. They had forgotten about her the moment Keenan replied.

"They have no right to question us," Keenan said indignantly.

"Must you always be so violate with your emotions? I apologize Mr. and Mrs. Cullen. Keenan can be very emotional. What he meant was he was speaking in general terms."

"General terms?" Rosalie said as she raised an eyebrow.

"As in humans in general. All of humanity. The entire race. Not in an _us versus them_ type of way. It must have sounded bad but Keenan meant no harm," said Angela.

"Yet he still accused us of something," said Jasper as he turned his attention back to Keenan, "He still knows something."

As Jasper made his way to Keenan a strange man appeared out of thin air. It was a tall man with equally long hair. He seemed older than Keenan as he stood guard in front of him.

"Tavish go away," muttered Keenan as he glared at Jasper.

"Who is this," said a surprised Emmett.

"Tavish," Keenan and Angela said together.

"Why is he here," Esme said more kindly as the rest of the Cullens were too tense.

"I am his guard," Said Tavish.

"Why would he need a guard," Alice said curiously.

"Because he is the King of the Summer Court."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Thanks to my Beta Angels of Twilight **

The silence was cold and sharp. Everyone was staring at the man called Tavish in equal disbelief. The silence was quickly shattered as a unified exclamation filled the room.

"What!"

Alice was staring at Keenan with child-like interest. Her tilted head was like that of a confused tourist visiting modern works of art. Edward was tense and his eyes darted outside as if he were worried about someone who was not present. Jasper stopped in his tracks, frozen in shock, while Emmett stood in the corner with his mouth open wide. The only person that had an emotion that seemed out of place was Bella. She was staring at Angela with concern and confusion.

"How did you get to know him?" her soft voice carried out to Angela.

"We're old friends," said Angela tersely.

"You never mentioned him before," said Bella.

"He is not someone I generally talk about," Angela said as she stared intently at her shoes.

"What are you?" said Jasper.

"I think we could ask you the same thing," said Keenan.

"You are a guest in this house. We should know about anything dangerous that could threaten our family," said Jasper.

"Keenan is a King," said Tavish, "and if he wishes to keep his secrets, then you should respect such desires."

"Tavish!" hissed Keenan.

"You are a King? A King of what?" asked Bella.

"Faeries."

"This is a joke, right?" said Emmett.

"I wish," muttered Angela just as Tavish gave an angry growl.

"This comes as a surprise to a couple of vampires? I am surprised," Tavish said with an air of formality.

"You know what we are?" said Esme.

"We have encountered some of your kind, though it is not a great shock that you do not know of us. We tend to keep to ourselves," explained Keenan as he motioned at Tavish.

Angela watched as the Cullens tried to digest this new piece of information. Truthfully, Angela would have been more surprised if they did not react with some sort of confusion. Though, what worried her was her former classmate, Bella. She seemed calm and almost untouched by the news. Maybe her attack was still fresh in her mind? This would make her more open to the idea of magical creatures.

"She was not attacked," a velvety voice called out as Angela looked up in surprise.

"Then why is she a vampire? Unless she was one before she came to Forks?" Angela said curiously.

"I wanted to become a vampire. I wanted to be with Edward," said Bella as both Keenan and Angela stared at her in surprise. Tavish had disappeared after a hasty command of Keenan a few minutes back, but if he were here, Angela knew he would be smirking at her response.

"You gave up your mortality to be with a vampire? What about your mortal family?" said Keenan, as Angela was in a state of shock and could not answer. Not that she wanted to know the reason. After all, she too forsook her mortality in order to have a chance at being Keenan's bride. A mistake she wished would never repeat.

"I love Edward and he is my family now. I have no regret," said Bella in a calm voice. At this, Angela snapped. History was repeating itself, and this time Angela was too late to try and stop it.

"How could you say that? You threw away your life in order to be with a vampire! How could you be happy with that? How can you stand watching all those you know slowly die away?" Angela cried in anger. She was shaking and all she could think about was the curse. The curse that fell upon her when she decided she would leave behind the world she knew.

Her outburst seemed to shock the vampires, though Rosalie's shock quickly changed to sympathy and understanding. Bella just seemed shocked but Edward had the eyes of regret. Regret but at the same time a defiance to that regret. It irked Angela beyond belief.

"You don't understand, Angela. I truly love Edward and he loves me. There is nothing wrong with that," Bella tried to reason.

"It will change," Angela said as she made her way to the door. "Time will come and you will see the mistake. You will no longer love Edward. You will despise him," said Angela as she stormed out, leaving behind the air of surprise.

"Edward," Bella said to her husband, "She is wrong. She does not know what she is talking about. I love you and I'm happy with my decision. Nothing will change that," Bella said desperately as she watched Edward slowly succumb to guilt.

"You're wrong," said Keenan, ignoring the hiss that came from the short vampire. He made his way to Bella and lowered his voice even though the Cullens could still hear every word that he said.

"Angela gave up her mortality. She gave it up because she thought she was in love. She gave up everything for a chance for happiness just to realize that her chance could never happen. Do not judge her too harshly. Her relationship may have backfired but it may be different for you. Give her time and she will see that," said Keenan. He turned and was making his way to the door when Rosalie asked, "Who did she take a chance on?"

Keenan didn't look back as he answered, "Me."

The door clipped softly as the words sunk in the family of vampires. The depth of such a short answer was impossible to decipher and it implied more than simply two letters. Before the Cullens could voice any thoughts, the laughter of the youngest Cullen filled the room. A short rough bark followed and you could hear the two actively engage in conversation. But that stopped shortly as soon as the two entered the room. A cloud of seriousness had settled in the sitting room and Jacob was curious as to why.

"We need to talk to them again," Jasper said suddenly.

"Who?"

"They know more about the patients. They didn't give us a clear answer and we need to be prepared for the worst. Jacob, you need to ask Sam to come with us."

"Why? Is something wrong?"

"It will be easier to explain if you get your pack and Sam here. We must not waste time," said Edward as he grabbed a pair of keys.

"Where are you going?" asked Esme.

"To bring back Angela and her faerie friend."

"I'll go with you," Rosalie said as she stood and followed Edward outside. Edward nodded as the rest of the family ushered Jacob outside while he demanded loudly who Angela's gay friend was and why they were important.

Edward drove fast, trying to spot the car he had ridden in only moments ago. He knew why Rosalie wanted to come. She had finally found someone to share her views on immortality. While Angela may have already given up her mortality, there was still the bitterness and Rosalie had finally found someone who she could relate to. Finally, he spotted her car a few feet off the road. It was parked and the engine was off, but both Angela and Keenan were inside.

"Hey," said Keenan as he opened the car door. He had heard the car stop and knew that he would have to give Angela a few moments to gather herself up.

"We need to talk about the patients," said Edward.

"It is a long story. A very long story that includes the history of our past. If we tell you anything, we deserve to know why you are in Forks. And as to why we should even let you know our secrets," said Keenan coldly.

"We are the same," said Rosalie as she stared at the car window, watching as Angela strained to listen.

"I, too, regret my immortality. While it was not exactly by choice that I fell upon this cursed state, I want my mortality more than anything else. I tried to tell Bella to forget about becoming a vampire, but she loves Edward. In fact she made my burden a little easier," said Rosalie.

"How?"

"She gave birth to a child. A child I have always dreamt of, but could never have," Rosalie said to Angela as she stood near Keenan. Angela watched Rosalie and then nodded.

"Okay," Angela said quietly, "I'll go and tell you my story. I'll tell you why the patients are in that state. I'll tell you everything."

Rosalie nodded and followed Angela back to the car, all the while mentally reminding her brother that he needed to convince Keenan.

"Well, do you care to join us?" asked Edward.

"I'm not as weak as Angela. I need to know a reason, a valuable reason, as to why I should risk anything for you," said Keenan.

"We have other people who could help you combat whatever is ailing the people. As a king, you would get soldiers outside your realm willing to fight with you against the cause," said Edward.

"A trade then? You're manpower in exchange for information," said Keenan.

"Agreed."

"Well then I suppose we better follow the ladies home. After you, Mr. Cullen," said Keenan as he bowed to the surly vampire.

The drive back was short and even a slight bit awkward, but they arrived back nonetheless. The house was empty and the Cullens led the two teenagers to a jeep, telling them that a meeting was set up in the field. While not telling them exactly who would be present, the prospect of meeting his army greatly intrigued Keenan. After all, he would be able to finally access their skills.

"Took you long enough," Emmett's booming voice rang through the field.

"Who are they?" whispered Angela as she looked over the pack.

"Those are potential reinforcements. Werewolves," said Alice as she beamed at them from afar.

"Interesting. I thought vampires and werewolves were enemies?" said Keenan.

"We are," a deep voice came from a tall man.

"Who are you?"

"I am Sam and I am the leader of one of the Packs."

"One? You mean there are more in this area?" said Angela.

"Yes," said the voice of a vaguely familiar man.

"I'm Jacob. I have my own pack too. A lot smaller than Sam's but we still have a few tricks."

"How is it that you can get along with vampires?"

"It's complicated. However, we both want to protect the humans of this town, so we have drawn a loose alliance. Carlisle filled us in on the condition of the patients. All we need to hear is your story."

Angela looked over the crowd. A small band of boys stood close to where Jacob was while a few boys and a few gigantic wolves stood closer to the forest and were glancing at Sam. The thought of fleeing momentarily swept through her mind, but then she would have nowhere to go. Going back to Keenan would be humiliation and a defeat she could never acknowledge.

"Your Pack seems a bit small," commented Angela as she tried to gather her wits.

"Some are out on patrol. We can fill them in through other means. For now we just want to know what is going on."

"It's a long story and I only know parts. Keenan can fill you in after I tell you everything I know…"

Sam nodded and he made his way back to his Pack. The Cullens all stood in silence while Keenan looked at her, waiting for the story to start.

"I guess I better start the day I was introduced to the world of faeries. It was at a festival in the city. I was sixteen and wanted to go and prove to my family that I could go out to town and prove that I could take care of myself. That was a mistake," Angela laughed bitterly, "If you think New York is filled with bustle now, you should have seen it in 1926."

"1926 was a great age for flappers. Well, for rich kids anyway. There is no way a poor person could become a flapper. You had to have cash and the clothes and the flair that came with higher society. My father was a secretary for a young business and we were well off, but we were a respectable family. I don't think the idea of his daughter being a flapper ever crossed his head."

"Of course I wanted to keep it that way. That changed the night I went to a festival with my friends. We were playing around laughing at how the poor people were trying to play the Ritz when I saw him. He was a boy with the most interesting shade of copper hair. His features were attractive and he had an older man that seemed to be guarding him. I introduced myself and soon after the festival he began to court me."

"A young girl came to visit me. She told me I should stay away from Keenan. That his sweet words and high promises would one day come back to haunt me. I didn't listen to her. I was in love and there was nothing more in the world that I wanted than to be Mrs. Keenan. A few weeks after the girl visited, Keenan took me to a Speak Easy. The people were different and there was nobody I knew."

"He told me his secret that day. He was a faery and he was under a curse that I may be able to break. Of course, I thought he was just being ridiculous. I didn't believe him until he told me to take a drink. A drink that opened my eyes and allowed me to see the reality. I could see the true forms of the people around me and I was enchanted. I should have known better. I should have been able to guess the cruelty these faeries could bring."

"Keenan told me his story. How his mother stripped away his powers and could never truly become King of the Summer Court until a young mortal woman broke a spell. Keenan would have to convince someone to risk this mortality and try to break their curse. The girls he had tried all failed. That is why the young girl warned me. It was her job to dissuade girls."

"How did they fail?" a young boy asked.

"A staff was cursed with the Winter Curse. If a girl decided to try and break the Winter Curse either she would break it or become infected. She would have to warn away girls until another girl was convinced to take the staff and carry on the Curse. The girls that decided not to try and break the curse were turned into Summer Girls. Faithfully living in bliss in the Summer Court, consoling Keenan whenever he needed," Angela added with a false sense of glee.

"I tried to break the Winter Curse. I wanted to believe that I was the one destined to be the bride of Keenan. But I failed. The Winter Curse was placed upon me as I watched for years as Keenan seduced other young girls," Angela finished.

"But what about the humans?" said Jasper. "The ones at the hospital are not in a state of magic."

"I thought you would ask why Keenan was cursed," said Angela, "That part would explain more. Or at least lead you to the direction your lines of questions should be when you question Keenan."

"Just tell them Angela," said Keenan as he watched the crowd slowly turn away from him.

"There is a power struggle between Courts. The world of Faerie is broken into different Courts. There is the Summer Court, which is where Keenan presides., the Winter Court, the High Court, and the Dark Court. The Summer Court is like summer. It draws its power from the sun and the people of the Summer Court are all about passionate emotion. The Winter Court is powerful during the winter and makes sure that the world gets cold and frigid in the winter. They are the opposite of the Summer Court. The High Court is all about rules and order. They rarely meddle in human things as the entire Court resides in Faerie. They were one of the original Courts."

"The Dark Court is the only other original Court, but they decided to live in the human world. They live off dark emotions and get powerful during time of war or turmoil within the Faerie Courts. The power struggle between the Winter Court and the Summer Court gave the Dark Court power. But the Court needs to find a way to sustain themselves during the times of peace. They created Bonding Tattoos to solve the problem."

"What are Bonding Tattoos?" said Esme.

"An exchange," said Keenan. "The humans get a tattoo and the faeries of the Dark Court feed off the emotions of the humans. The Dark Court usually feed of the fey, but with no war they needed to feed off humans. But they are drying up the humans and taking too much emotion. It should have stopped when Niall took over, but we had a…disagreement of sorts."

"And now you want to settle this? But why bring in humans into your fight?" demanded Sam.

"Niall and I had a difference in opinion in the matter of a mortal girl on the other side of the country. He fell in love with a mortal and I did nothing to help her realize the danger she was in. If he wanted to bring a war to the table, he could have done something to a mortal over there. If anything, the proof that there are Bonding Tattoos over here means that either Niall is feeding an army that he wished for me to never find out about, or there are some Rogue Faeries out here that could be trouble."

"Maybe you should find out which of the options it is," snarled Sam.

"Do you think I would declare war without having thought of that? I merely came here to assess the situation. I will be returning to the Court and in a few days' time, I will tell you which it is," Keenan said angrily.

"I'll go with you," said Angela.

"No! Ash will ask questions and I do not wish for her to fret over this. The Winter Curse still lingers, Angela, and going to the Summer Court will only weaken you," said Keenan quietly.

"They will look at me with pity," said Angela as she turned away from the field.

"You got your wish of leaving. You wanted to share your story and now you must face the consequences," Keenan said as he turned away. "I'll see you in a few days' time."

"You can stay with us," offered Alice as she watched her family converse with both Packs. "You can help us better research the threat. I can take you shopping too, if you like."

"Thanks," said Angela as she turned back towards the field. She didn't notice the tree grow in shadow and the smirk of evil that fell her way.

**A/N-So finally updated this story. Hopefully I set up the plot well enough for people to follow without getting confused. Well enjoy and thanks to **Amaia-Sinblood **and the lovely review in the last chapter. While we have not seen how deep the reaction was to the revelations made in this chapter the next chapter will deal with the Pack and there response as well as a more detailed response as to how the Cullens really felt. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Everlasting Masquerade Part II Chapter 6**

**Thanks to my Beta- Angels of Twilght**

Angela did not wish to turn around. To do so would mean she would have to face the people that had just heard of her story, of her foolishness. While talking about it had been a numbing experience, the thought of actually staying afterwards was one of torturous pain. It was one thing to tell other people about a deep personal experience, but it was a completely different thing to watch the information get digested. Most of the company seemed to be male as well, and Angela had very few experiences that went well with men. Perhaps she was biased, but she tended to categorize every male she met with a faerie counter-part, which was unfair considering the very nature of the fey.

"Angela," a voice cried out, which Angela later identified as Bella.

Angela took a deep breath, trying to desperately put on a face of indifference as she turned to face the small crowd. "Yes?" she said.

"Can you tell us more about faeries? We need to know about our potential enemies," said Jacob as he walked away from the Cullens.

Angela frowned as she tried to think of how exactly one could possibly explain the world she was part of. The rules were so different and the creatures so complex. Explaining faeries would not be easy simply because the faerie world is too interlaced with the human reality. Angela bit her lip as she tried in vain to say something, and her discomfort was noted by many of those present.

"We could go inside if the outdoors makes you uncomfortable," Esme offered kindly.

Angela jumped in surprise as she remembered that they were all waiting for a response. She shook her head as she tried to explain her dilemma.

"It's not that I am uncomfortable. It is very hard to describe the way of the faeries. The rules are all different and the faerie world in many ways overlaps the human world," said Angela.

"How?" asked Sam.

"It's very different. The concept of cruelty, for example, is very different in the eyes of the fey than in the eyes of humans. Humans are seen as an amusing sport, not because faeries are all especially malicious, but rather because humans are simply very different from faeries. And faeries interact with humans very frequently, so sometimes it is very hard to distinguish the differences."

Angela looked around the woods, trying to think of something that would better explain the question. Her eyes landed on a great moss covered rock and she walked briskly to the edge of the woods. The vampires watched in silence and the wolves seemed wary of her sudden movement. She stopped short and climbed onto the rock, facing all those in the cleared field. Without warning, the Angela that once was standing over the rock simply disappeared. The crowd seemed shocked at not only her disappearance but also the lack of smell. It was as if Angela had dropped off the field entirely and not simply turned invisible.

Meanwhile, Angela stood on the rock, trying to see if she could find some smaller fey that would reappear with her. She knew that solitary fey usually stayed in places near nature. Her eyes caught a twig man at the edge of the forest and she beckoned him over to her.

"Yes?" said the twig man as he bowed to Angela, "How may I assist a member of the court?"

"I want to trick these people. I need you to appear with me so we can surprise them," said Angela. At the word "trick," the twig man seemed to brighten and quickly agreed to Angela's proposition. After a few more seconds of teasing, Angela and the twig man reappeared, surprising the crowd once more.

"What is that?" said Carlisle curiously.

"A twig man. An independent faerie, judging from his location. He was near the woods watching us," said Angela as she watched the people take in the sight of the faerie.

"How did you disappear like that? We could not smell you anymore. It was as if you did not exist," said Jasper.

"When you enter a faerie court, you are no longer in the human world. At least not fully. The human world still looks the same but it is as if we were in a bubble. We could see you but you could not see us," explained Angela.

"So that is why the twig man was able to watch us? Can he fight?" asked Sam.

Angela looked at the twig man as he watched the vampires and wolves with fascination. Of course the twig man could fight, but to what degree was a different question all together. Seeing two different magical creatures ask such a strange question was an obvious novelty to the faerie, which made Angela wonder if he had ever left the woods to interact with humans.

"I am a mere servant to faeries. My physical abilities are not as great as some of the faeries of the court," the twig man answered in a raspy sort of voice.

"Most twig men live near nature and merely play pranks. They can get a little nasty in a fight, but they are not the soldiers that you would be looking for," added Angela, noting the looks of some of the members of both the vampire and wolf clans.

"Do you have powers?" a younger boy asked eagerly.

Angela winced as she recalled exactly what powers she did have. Or rather, what powers the Winter Curse had granted her. She had come to accept some aspects of the faerie world, but that did not mean that she found them all pleasant.

"I can do a few things." Angela smiled as she stepped down the stone. "Nothing close to what Keenan can do. Just a few simple faerie tricks, nothing that you can use in battle."

"You said the rules of faerie are different. How so?" said Edward, as he pulled the topic of conversation away from Angela.

"It's just different," Angela shrugged.

"Different in what ways?" asked Bella.

"It just follows different logic. Different rules. The culture is different. The faeries are different," Angela said as she turned back to the twig man. He simply nodded and ran back to the woods, disappearing from sight.

Sam frowned as Angela once again answered the question. Or rather, avoided it all together. She would always tell them that she was different, but never explain. It was as if she were struggling, and it was frustrating Sam to no end. He was a pack Alpha, and it was his job to protect Forks and the Pack. When she told them her story, it was so similar to that of Bella and the Cullens. He could understand to some extent why she would be bitter, but he also needed answers, answers that could not wait.

"Can you give us an example?" said Sam, as he tried to get a real answer from the strange girl. He watched as she stared at him, her eyes blank.

"We're cruel," she whispered at last. She looked down refusing to look at them, knowing that they heard her short response. "We are cruel, and we see humans as our play toys, never equal to us, and only here for our enjoyment."

Angela could not stop. The words she had been hiding, the disgust at her very self was overwhelming. How could she explain to these people that her foolish choice led not only to her discarding her old life, but embracing one as dark as night? She knew her very nature was that of a faerie, and she was part of a world that not only disgusted her, but enchanted her at the same time.

"When I was carrying the Winter Curse, I saw what we did, tricking humans, playing small acts of cruelty on them. Pushing people, pulling hair, and we did it all without them knowing. We would laugh away as they stumbled and fell. We would trick them into slavery with our food. We would make them obsessed with us only to leave them after they bored us. That is what faeries do. It's in our nature," Angela said with a final breath, not stopping to watch the faces of those she had just come to meet.

Rosaline stared at her, taken aback by her exclamation and knowing that her feelings of guilt were like those of Edward. She was robbed of her mortality, and now had to face her new identity. She was a monster, just like them, and she had no choice. Or rather, she gambled her choice based on an idea of love. Now she knew why she protested so much to Bella. It was not only the fact that she had lost her old life, but also the fact that her new life had left her with a hate of herself.

"I should go," Angela said suddenly. Her face was pale and everyone could smell the faint scent of fear. Her eyes were wild and her breath had quickened as her arms and legs twitched with anticipation.

"Wait! Where are you going?" said Jacob.

Angela did not answer as she ran towards the woods. The wolves were quick to follow and the Cullens quickly drew after them. Super speed did not seem to be much of an advantage, because Angela made her way out of their sight.

"She must have disappeared," cursed Sam.

"Why did she take off like that?" said Jacob as his eyes roamed the woods.

"She was scared," said Jasper.

"That we would judge her? We're vampires. We live in a similar world," said Emmett.

"It was something else. She saw something, or sense it, because the fear appeared out of nowhere," said Jasper.

The smell of human interrupted the conversation as Angela appeared once again. But it was not Angela that caught their full attention, but rather the twig man that now lay in her arms. It was the same man as before, only this time he was dead.

"What happened?" fretted Esme.

"A solitary fey," said Angela, her eyes now black.

"What?"

"A faerie that does not belong to the court," said Angela, as she placed the twig man on the ground.

"How can you tell?" said Alice.

"He reeks of iron," said Angela as she wrinkled her nose in disgust. "This must mean that the Dark Court has nothing to do with this, or that there are rebels within the Dark Court."

"Which seems more likely?"

"Rebels. Solitary fey would not want to draw attention to themselves. If it were a declaration of war, then the twig man would have been killed when Keenan was here."

"Are you going to contact Keenan?" asked Bella.

"No. He can still gather information at the Court," said Angela. The death of the twig man pushed back her despair. It was lurking in her mind, but it no longer consumed her. She needed to fix this. Keenan was right. She decided to leave the Court behind. She left the cruelty of the Court, but that did not mean she had left cruelty itself. These people would need better research if they were to be successful in figuring out the mystery of the Bonding Tattoos.

"Do you know any well-stocked bookstores?"

"The same ones from before are all still here," said a confused Bella.

"We need to get some books on the world of the fey," said Angela, "Every horrible thing you have read in faerie tales has some truth. You need to be acquainted with our ways, otherwise you would just fall into the same Curse as me."

This was her chance, she decided. She could save these people from her fate. She failed to stop the next Winter Girl and she failed to save herself, but she would save the people of Forks. She would not let them be the monster that she had become.

**A/N: Well hopefully this chapter and the next will really start moving the plot along. Thank you everyone who has read the story this far and to**

10th Squad 3rd Seat **and** KaAaArL **who reviewed the last chapter and** Silvermoon of Forestclan **for making me smile about the Tithe comment.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

**Part III**

**For my Beta Angels of Twilight **

"So, does this mean Cinderella is real?"

Angela whipped back to look at Seth and saw him dangling a book of princess fairy tales. While some stories did have some mentions of the true workings of the fey, it was nothing compared to the other books that were scattered along the library.

"Where did you get that book?" said Angela.

"Jake gave it to Nessie as a joke. I thought it might have something to do with what we're doing, so I borrowed it," explained Seth.

"Well it won't be too much help. Grab something else and put that princess book away," said Angela.

She knew Seth was just bored, but when she heard the name Nessie, she lost her temper. Nessie was the daughter of a human and vampire, and even had special abilities. The child made her feel uneasy, regardless of how charming she seemed. She was too perfect, and it reminded her of something she could never have. Nessie had a heart beat along with half of her humanity, and she even got to enjoy the few wonders of the supernatural.

"What about this book? I found it in some weird store near the back of the shop," said Seth.

"Well, let me have a look at it. Does it have a title?"

"Let me check. Ah, no…Nothing on the book and there is no title page inside of it," said Seth. Angela took the book and flipped open the cover, almost dropping it when she saw the cover.

"What's wrong? Paper cut?" said Seth as he worriedly looked at Angela's hand.

"Where did you say you found the book?" said Angela.

"At some bookstore, near the back of the shop. Why?"

"This was mine," whispered Angela. "This book was given to me by the previous Winter Girl. She wrote it and gave it to me as a warning. I didn't listen to her and I left the book in my room."

"Maybe your family sold it," offered Seth.

"Yes, they probably did. This book will be helpful. It was written by a faerie, after all," said Angela.

Seth left the room, yelling about a book that was full of information, but Angela had already blocked him out. The presence of that book was unsettling, and it placed Angela in a position of vulnerability, one she did not wish to be in. That book was not only a book full of information on the Court and the subjects, but also about the Winter Girl and her role. It was shameful, and they would pity her. They would look at her and see the failure she had committed and judge her for it. Or perhaps they would not care. The world did not revolve around her, and the only reason they were talking with her was because of the Bonding Tattoo patients that were in the hospital. They only needed her for a while, and things like personal stories might not even matter to all of them. Angela could deal with a few sympathetic eyes, and the idea of having at least some of the people acting indifferently would be a relief.

"See, I told you it was full of information," said Seth as he walked back in with a few others behind him.

"This book is amazing. How accurate is it?" said Jasper.

"One hundred," said Angela. "One hundred percent."

"How is that possible? You said stories might have some part of truth, but this book is more like a catalog. If it was written by a human, how can it all be right?"

"Some humans have the Sight. They can see into the faerie world just like if they were faeries themselves. And that book was written by a faerie, which is why I know it is accurate."

"How do you know that it was written by a faerie?" said Sam.

"I'm a faerie, remember? I can tell when something is fey or not. That book, the one that Seth found, is definitely fey."

"Well, the book is very informative. Should we just stick with this and stop looking for things in other books?" asked Sam.

"If you want," shrugged Angela. "This book gives you information on the Court and the faerie but not so much on the psychology of the ways of the fey. But it is written by a faerie, so maybe you can get that from the writing style," said Angela.

"Well we can use this book for now and you and Seth can continue working on finding other books that have information," said Sam.

"Alright. I'm still sifting through some books in this box and I'll give them to Seth to bookmark for you later," said Angela as she turned back to her work.

"Why didn't you tell them that the book used to belong to you?" said Seth.

"Why didn't you tell them?" questioned Angela.

"I didn't want to make you uncomfortable. I thought you wanted to tell them or something," said Seth as he looked through the books randomly.

"I guess it was not really important. They know the information is real, and that is all that really matters. Any personal ties I have with the book are not really relevant," said Angela.

"But it does make you uncomfortable," Seth pointed out. "Your feelings should matter too."

"If we happen to enter a war, then they don't matter. Not really. Besides I've had years of having to repress feelings, so it's not like I'm new to this. You worry too much, Seth," said Angela.

"It's just you remind me of my sister, Leah, and it's just instinct," chuckled Seth.

"Then Leah is lucky she has a caring person to connect to. Can you hand me some books from that pile? We still have a lot of sorting out to do," said Angela.

-page break-

"Rebels," Keenan said.

"Are you sure? Maybe he said that to distract you," said Angela.

"Right now, there are other pressing matters. Having to deal with something like this would be a distraction. Niall may have a grudge against me, but he would not lie to me. We can't lie, after all," grinned Keenan.

"So, we are dealing with rebel court faeries, and have no support from either court. How are we going to deal with this?" demanded Angela.

"I never said you were going to deal with this alone. The Court cannot, at this time, give aid. Until we find the rebel forces, you must deal with the problem alone. After we have a target, I can come and help deal with the problem," said Keenan.

"You're leaving too?" said Angela.

"I have a Court that needs attending. I promise to have someone check in, if you want," said Keenan.

Angela nodded and opened the car door. Keenan had gotten back this morning, and now they needed to spread the information. As much as Angela did want to tell the others, she knew that they would be a great help. But they could also be a hindrance if the fight were to take place in the world of faerie.

"I saw you coming," said Alice as she skipped to the car. "Hurry, Sam wants to know what we are going up against."

"Are you sure only Sam wants to know?" said Keenan only to have Alice laugh in response.

The house was the same as last night when Angela left. There was a clear divide between the Pack and the vampires, and even those that were close to the Cullens stood closer to those of their own kind. The dislike was clear, even if they had come to tolerate each other.

"I suppose the presence of Keenan means we have some information," said Carlisle.

"You are correct. The Dark Court king has met with me and we have discussed the possibility that there are rebels within the Dark Court. More accurately, ex-Court rebels, as there are a number of faerie that left the Court when Niall took the throne," said Keenan.

"Meaning…" said a tall man named Paul.

"That there will be no war between Courts," said Jasper.

"This is good, right?" said Seth.

"It just means there is no war. That does not mean that it is good. Now we have no target, and that makes it much harder to find the cause of the Bonding Tattoos," said Keenan.

"But you know that some rebels left the Court," said Emmett.

"That doesn't mean much," said Angela. "They could have left because the power shift gave them a chance to leave the Court in grace, or they simply want to be Solitary fey. The fact that some of the faeries were rebels narrows the field, but that does not mean we know for a fact who is behind the attacks on these humans," said Angela.

"Angela is right," said Edward. "We have a list of people that could be the culprits, but we have no idea who exactly is doing this. Even if we did, we do not know where they are."

"If this is not a war between Courts, does that mean the Courts will not try to find the cause?" said Sam.

"The Courts are preparing for another battle. Looking for possible rebels is a waste of time. If you find a faerie that is causing the problem, then you have the help of the Court. Until then, I have done my part," said Keenan.

"You have done nothing," snarled Sam. "In fact, the only thing you faeries have done is bring the problem to Forks."

"And you don't think maybe it was the presence of so many magical creatures that attracted faeries here?" Keenan said coldly, "You can't even keep a couple of vampires out. What makes you think you are better than me?"

Angela rolled her eyes as the two males continued to glare at each other. Keenan even offering some help was a huge step, and if Sam knew anything about faeries, he would see it as a gift. Keenan did not care about humans, so involving himself to this extent was already a stretch. It was a cruel way to think, but it was the truth.

"Perhaps you and Angela should leave. We appreciate the help you and the Court has given us," said Esme.

"Angela is not part of the Court," said Keenan coldly. "She left the Court and is no longer my subject."

"So she is a bit like the rebel faeries," said Seth.

"No. I left the Court because I no longer owed anything to Keenan. My role was done, and I left. I did not leave because I wanted to rebel against Keenan. I left because I was no longer needed," said Angela.

Keenan stared at her before turning to walk out of the room. He knew he was dismissed, and there were other things he had to do.

"So you really are just going to leave us," called Jacob.

"I am a king," said Keenan. "I have a duty to the Court, not to these humans. I must prepare for a war that may break between all Courts, and I have no time to waste here. I only came because I knew Angela was here. These humans mean nothing to me," Keenan said before stepped out.

All eyes seemed to zero in on Angela as she stared out the door. She wanted to go after Keenan. Ask about this girl named Ash, and why Keenan looked so troubled. She may not be a Court fey, but she did have some ties to the world of fey.

"Is that true?" said Bella.

"It's the nature of the faerie. Humans are temporary, and they are only a fun distraction. They are easily replaceable, nothing to fret about," said Angela.

"Do you feel that way?" said Seth.

Angela paused, unsure as to how to answer. She cared about humanity in general, but when it came to specific humans she had very few ties. She cared about humans in a general sense because she wanted her humanity, but that was the extent of her feelings.

"Yes," she whispered at last. "Yes I do."

She closed her eyes as she waited for her dismissal, but she was greeted only with silence. A deathly silence that forced her to open her eyes. Rosaline was glaring at the wolves, as if daring them to ask her to leave.

"Do you still want to help?" said Jasper, as he watched the room from the corner of his eye.

"Yes. I want to help," said Angela.

"Then we had better get started. After all, we need to find a culprit if we want help from Keenan."

**A/N: Yay! The story is moving along. Is Angela in character? Is the story at a good pace? **

**Thank you for reading**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight **

**A huge thanks to my Beta, Angela of Twilight **

Angela stared at the chaos that was currently residing in the Cullens' living room. Regional maps, people profiles, hand written notes, they were all strewn all over the floor mixed with the previously abandoned books they had been pouring over the last few hours. She had left after the crack of dawn in order to get freshened up at her own house, and was greeted with the sight of an empty one upon her return.

Walking in the mess, a short note caught her eye. It was written in impeccable handwriting, so she assumed it was written by one of the vampires, but it was the message itself that peaked Angela's interest. It was a list, of sorts, that explained what being a vampire entailed to each of the exclusive Cullen members.

'_Shield_' was the small note besides Bella's name, and Angela immediately felt like banging her head against the walls. Why had she not thought of it before? The Cullens said they had individual gifts, but she didn't think to ask as to what each gift was. The ability to shield minds might just be the only way to give the patients enough time to come out of their comatose state and answer their questions. Before Angela could take any action, Emmett's booming voice filled the room as he gave a detailed tale on what he had hunted.

"You're back! Sorry about the mess. We needed to go out hunting and didn't think you'd be back so soon," said Emmett.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" asked Jasper, as he felt the waves of emotion shifting from Angela.

"Bella is a shield," moaned Angela, and realization clicked in both of their minds.

"We need to tell Edward. He can read their minds while Bella shields them. She's had practice, so she should be able to do it," said Jasper. All three fled the room and caught the rest of the Cullens, as well as some Pack members, as they filed in the kitchen.

One look at Angela was all Edward needed before he turned back to the group and announced that they had figured out a way to get clues.

"How? We went through various means and still we got nothing," grumbled Paul.

"Bella," said Angela, "can you use your shield on humans?"

The clocks turned in every head in the room and a small silence filled the void. Bella nodded and the relief the followed was almost palpable.

"Bella and Edward can go to the hospital and call us when they find something," offered Carlisle.

"I think I should go," interrupted Angela.

A small frown appeared on Sam's face, but Seth eagerly voiced his agreement. "She is a faerie, so if the people say a name, she would be more qualified to understand what they mean."

"You could go too, if you want. It might make it fairer if there is representation from the wolves," Esme said as she tried to control the situation.

"That would make sense. Plus, a wolf would be able to transform and give the communication immediately without the fear that someone would overhear," said Jacob.

After some negotiation, Sam agreed to let Paul go to the hospital and one of the Pack members would transform to a wolf and keep the line of communication open. Angela did not mind the company of Paul too much, but he was very distrustful of her nature, which made her uneasy. She needed them to trust her to some extent, as only to make it easier to figure out this problem once and for all.

"Are you ready to go?" Bella asked her. Angela only nodded and followed the trio out the door. Edward led the group until they reached the garage and took out the car. It was a nice car, but at this point in her life, Angela no longer cared about things like cars. One would think that an immortal vampire would share similar interest.

"We like the speed. It's not about the car, but the quality of the ride," said Edward as he read her scattered thoughts.

"It just seems a bit excessive. A 'why ride in a car when you could run?' sort of sentiment," said Angela.

"We want to blend in," said Edward, only to have Paul and Bella turn around and give him a look as to say _Really? That's what you're going for?_

"I wish you the best of luck," muttered Angela and stepped in the car. Bella had opted to sit back with her, which meant that the hot-tempered Paul got to sit with the vampire.

"Sometimes I don't get the spending either," whispered Bella, "It seems really stupid and pointless, but I guess it makes them happy."

"And it doesn't make you happy?"

"I never liked spending money I didn't have. Maybe it will change once I've lived longer, but right now I'm still siding with my human tendencies," said Bella.

Angela gave a tight smile as she turned to the side and watched the scenery go by. She never was much of a sulker, but ever since meeting these vampires, Angela has had her past thrown in her face over and over again. One would think that having to spend all those years as a Winter Girl would have numb her to the experience, but alas, she found herself unsettled by her encounter.

They approached the hospital, and soon they were back in the patients' room. Paul transformed into a wolf, and Edward led Bella to a patient.

"This mind is the easiest to read. Maybe it will be the easiest to shield," suggested Edward.

"Okay. I'll give it a try," said Bella as she concentrated her shield on the young man. The shield took place and Edward was flooded with the picture of a man. But just as soon as the shield was placed, the clarity of the man's mind was gone.

"What happened?" said Edward.

"I was pushed out. It was so strange. Almost as if someone had taken my shield and thrown it from his mind," said Bella.

"Did you see anything? Even a small clue might be helpful," said Angela.

"I saw a man with red eyes and some strange markings around his eyes, but nothing else," said Edward.

"Could you draw the markings?" said Angela.

"Yes, those markings were very…unforgettable. Here, I have some paper I could use," said Edward as he drew the markings he had seen.

"Those markings…I remember those. But it's impossible," said Angela.

"What's impossible?" said Bella.

"Those markings were borders drawn in my room. By my human brother," said Angela.

**-Page Break-**

"So you are saying that the man who drew the tattoos is your brother? How is that possible? Shouldn't he be dead?" said Jasper.

"I don't know. And I never said my brother made those tattoos. For all we know, a faerie copied the design and my brother never had anything to do with it," snapped Angela.

"But it would explain how your book on faeries got out of your house. You said yourself that only you had a copy, and that you left it in your human home," said Seth.

"Perhaps you should call Keenan. He might know whether or not your brother was even involved in faerie affairs," said Alice.

"Keenan won't tell me. I have to find Niall. He is a more reliable source," explained Angela.

"Who is he?"

"She already told us. Or rather Keenan told us. Niall is the new King of the Dark Court," said Jasper.

"And he is a more reliable source?" said a skeptical Quil.

"He has no reason to lie to me. Keenan wants me back at the Summer Court. Niall doesn't care about that. Plus, he is mad that Keenan kept the faerie world a secret from a human that was in danger from faeries. He would be willing to help us," said Angela.

"How would you contact him? We need to get information as quickly as possible," said Rosalie.

"I have a way to communicate with him that is efficient," Angela said slowly, "But I need to go out of town in order to do so. If you were to give me some time, I will come back with the information you need."

"How do we know you'll come back? For all we know, you could use this as a way to leave us hanging," said Paul.

"Enough!" said Sam, "We may not like her, but we need to have some trust in her. How much time to you need?"

"A few days at most."

"A few days? Very well, if you are not back in a week's time, it will be assumed that you have abandoned the fight," said Sam, "You are welcome to take someone with you."

Angela bit her lip lightly as she considered Sam's proposal. Communicating with Niall would be easy, but actually convincing him to help may take a while. Time ran different in the Court. If she had a wolf with her, she could communicate more easily with the Cullens and the wolves. With a final thought, Angela settled on taking up Sam's offer.

"I can take Seth, if you like. He has helped me with research, so we have some degree of familiarity that would be helpful for my quest. As long as he can keep his mouth shut, it won't be a problem," said Angela.

"I give my permission," said Jacob as he added, "Since Seth is part of my Pack, he needs my permission. It would also show good faith, since both the Cullens and Sam's Pack had to accompany you somewhere and my Pack did not."

Angela nodded as she processed this new piece of information, and turned her attention back to Seth.

"We need to drive to a small shop not far from here. I know a solitary fey who has connections in the Dark Court and could help us."

**-Page Break-**

"I would help you, but I need something in return. My services are not cheap," said a large green man.

"What if we show you something?" offered Seth.

"I'm listening," said the man. Seth quickly transformed to a wolf leaving the man gasping in shock, and then returned back to his human form.

"So, the Shape Shifters still exist. You have given me a piece of valuable information, young one, and it is a suitable price for my help," said the man.

Angela sighed in relief, watching as he fumbled through his shop in search of his materials. He searched in boxes, rummaging through piles, when at last he pulled out a bowl.

"Well, I have had direct communication with Niall, and he has allowed for emergency contact. Whether he finds your situation as such, I cannot guarantee, but the result is not part of my service," warned the man.

"I am certain that this situation qualifies as an emergency," said Angela. The man nodded as he set up the bowl, whispering strange words until the face of Niall appeared in its water.

"Angela, how nice to see you. Is there a reason as to why you are contacting me?" said Niall.

"I had a few questions regarding my brother. A few questions, I am sure, you are most interested to hear."

"Is Keenan not a good enough source?" Niall voice was full of mirth as Angela scowled.

"Was my human brother tied up in your affairs or not? The person behind the Bonding Tattoos here at Forks bears the markings that were created by _him_. I need to know if my brother is involved," said Angela angrily.

Niall's face remained impassive, but his voice had an icy edge as he responded. "Keenan did not wish to tell you, but as I am no longer part of his Court, I have the liberty of discussing the situation. After your apparent human death, your brother found your…book. He sought out a Dark Court faerie and struck a deal. He was turned into a faerie, and, in return, he was bound to will of the Court."

"But you no longer employ the Bonding Tattoos," said Angela.

"Only because I forbid it. The Will of the Court does not. The Court needs human emotion to live, and as it craves them, your brother has been driven mad. He is no longer the human you remember, but rather he has been driven to insanity by the Will of the Court," said Niall.

"Then our enemy is my brother," said Angela.

"Yes, but I do not know where he is. Finding him is up to you. As his sister, you should have an easier time figuring out where he may be," said Niall.

"Thank you, Niall, for everything," said Angela as she ended the communication.

"The conversation did not please you," said the man.

"It was revealing. Thank you," said Angela.

Angela was walking out the shop with Seth hot on her heels. "Well, that was faster than I thought," said Seth.

"Yes, it was. I thought I would have to go to the Dark Court in order to convince him," said Angela truthfully.

"I'm sorry about your brother. I can't imagine what I would do if Leah was my enemy," said Seth.

"You'd lose," Angela said as she smiled at Seth's vocal indignation.

**AN: Hopefully this chapter moved everything along and hopefully it was all at a reasonable pace. A special thanks to **_**Amaia-Sinblood **_**for her review. Niall made a special "appearance" and the next chapter will show if Doria and Irial get one too. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

**For my beta ****Angels of Twilight**

She was beyond livid. The deep feeling of frustration, anger, and disappointment were all rolled up in one, and it was just too great to bear. All she could do was watch the entire pack of wolves and vampires protest against her as if it were all her fault. And maybe it was. It was _her_ brother who was causing this. It was _her_ long-term presence that attracted him. And it was _her_ fault that faeries were causing an uproar. As if she wanted to bring this upon them…

"Stop," Angela said but no one seemed to hear her above the noise. She closed her eyes and took a breath. Placing her feet forward she made her way to the door. The cool feel of the handle contrasted against the tangible heat that was residing in the sitting room. The door opened and a rush of cold air flushed Angela's face. It was cool and relaxing and with just one gust memories came haunting back. Perhaps that is why she chose Forks; the cool air was like that of winter.

"We can get chaotic, sorry about that," said Rosalie.

"Yes, I noticed that very quickly," said Angela.

"And Sam is wrong. So is Edward. And Jasper for that matter," said Rosalie.

"No, they have a point. If I had never followed Keenan, none of this would have happened. I would have not disappeared, and my brother would have never done this," Angela replied bitterly.

"Do you regret it? Not Keenan, but the fact that you chose the staff and not a groupie," asked Rosalie.

"No. Never. I don't think I could ever be a Summer Girl. I would always be waiting on Keenan for all of eternity, depending on his charming smiles to make my days and always wanting nothing more than to be near him. It would be pure torture," said Angela.

"Did the separation help? Leaving the Court, did that make it easier?" said Rosalie.

"Are you thinking of leaving the Cullens?" Angela asked.

"No," Rosalie said slowly. "After I found Emmett, it made the burden of immortality less painful. It will always be there, and I would leave in Emmett in a heartbeat if that meant I could be human, but he does make me happier."

"So you found love. I suppose that would make it less of a punishment. And Emmett was turned after you became a vampire, so it would make it easier. He wouldn't have as much baggage," mused Angela.

"They wanted me for Edward, did you know that? When they turned me, they hoped Edward and I would fill each others' void. But it didn't because I could not love him," said Rosalie.

"My brother and I used to walk to school together," Angela began suddenly, "Everyday we would walk across a little bridge that went over a small creek. He used to hold my hands when we were smaller so I wouldn't fall in."

"When I met Keenan, he told me to stay away. Said something about him was different and would only bring trouble but I didn't listen. I told myself he was just jealous and that he knew nothing about the matters of the heart, but I was wrong. In fact, he knew even more than me. He sacrificed his will so he could find me."

Hot tears were pooling in her eyes, and the dam that had been holding back her anguish finally broke. Her brother was alive, and there was nothing she could do to save him.

"He loved me and all I did was steal his _will_, his very essence of humanity," Angela chocked off as she tried in vain to reel back in control. The tears continued to flow, and Angela could do nothing but let them fall. She knew that, just a few walls over, there was a room full of people with sharp senses that could probably hear her bawling, but at this point Angela no longer cared. All she knew was that she felt like a lost little girl, and all she wanted was a grown up to come and make it all better.

Rosalie watched as this young woman cried her heart out. She didn't need to have Jasper's powers to know that the depth of those tears ran deep. She herself knew what it was like to be ripped away from her life, but she had found Emmett and Nessie. But Angela still had nobody to walk her though the pain. Rosalie took Angela in her arms, practically dragging her away from the house. She knew Leah was out here too, and if anyone could relate to this anguish, it was her.

"Leah, I know you're out there," shouted Rosalie. She knew Leah didn't listen to anyone but Jake, but hopefully the presence of Angela would be enough to bring her out.

"So you brought the infamous Angela. You look a little weak to me," snipped Leah.

Angela angrily wiped away her tears, replying, "I could say the same about the vampires, but that doesn't stop them from being as hard as a mountain."

"Fine, you got me there. Anyone that looks like they are constantly constipated would look weak. But that still doesn't explain why you were crying."

"We found the one that is causing the problems," Rosalie said quietly.

"Then why are you crying?" Leah said incredulously, "Was he your lover or something?"

"My brother. It's my brother who is causing this mess," said Angela.

"Oh…okay then, that makes sense. Wait! They're making you fight your brother!" said Leah.

"He's not the same person. He is being controlled by a higher power. I know he is no longer the same person, but I just can't kill him," said Angela.

"Then you shouldn't. It would be like the Pack attacking one of their own, or the Cullens killing off Nessie or Bella for accidentally losing control. How can they expect you to kill your own blood?" Leah said angrily.

"But we need to stop the attacks," countered Angela, "If my brother is the cause, then it is _my_ responsibility to stop him."

"But stop does not mean kill. Maybe there is a way to save him," said Rosalie.

"But his will is consumed by the Court. He is the Will of the Court now. To save him, I would have to destroy the court. And destroying the Court would mean the death of the fey. I can't save him without condemning my own kind," said Angela angrily.

"Maybe we can talk to someone else? Another faerie that can help you?" inquired Rosalie.

"Maybe one of the older Winter girls can help? I know you said that you were one of the many, so maybe an older girl would know something?" suggested Leah.

"None have ties with the Court. It would be a goose chase…"

"It sounds like you have an idea," said Leah.

"Well, there is one former Winter girl that has ties to the Court. In fact, she is part of it," Angela said slowly as she took in the encouraging smiles of both Rosalie and Leah.

.::-::.

"You didn't have to come," said Angela, while Leah and Rosalie both flanked near her. They had proposed their idea to the two Packs and the Cullens, and after much debate, which consisted of mostly Leah and Rosalie glaring and yelling at anyone who disagreed, decided that searching for an alternative might be beneficial.

"Well, we wanted to. And besides, us bitter girls need to stick together. If you get something like your brother back, then it will be a bit like a shared victory," said Leah.

"But Seth is right here," said Angela.

"She meant a piece of your past. Your brother is part of the life you had before turning fey. Getting that back would be like a small piece of heaven," explained Rosalie.

"Well, hopefully it will end in victory and not in tragedy," Angela muttered bitterly.

The three girls trudged further into the forest. Angela proposed a real meeting and everyone immediately perked up before she said that the person she was asking to help was a difficult character. Truth was Angela didn't want to speak to Donia in public, but as she needed someone to come with her, and the two females seemed like an obvious choice. They hadn't talked too much, but the sense of camaraderie was still there, forged by the sufferings they endeared.

"So, is this girl like you?" asked Leah.

"A bit," Angela answered carefully, "She also turned into a Winter Girl. She still has ties to the Court, mostly because she now rules the Winter Court, but she was always better suited for the Court Life."

"Which has certainly made things easier," A voice called out.

"I wasn't sure you were going to make it," confessed Angela.

"I wasn't too sure myself. I only have a few minutes or else Keenan will catch wind of my position," said Donia.

"So you really are going to be no help at all," glared Leah.

"Just because I'm not to fight with you doesn't mean I can't be a valuable asset" Donia said waspishly.

"What do you have in mind?"

"I made something for you. When a human friend of the Summer Court's Queen was afflicted with a bonding tattoo, I made something that would help ease the pain she experienced. I made some more in the hope that you could use it on your brother," said Donia.

"Why not use it on the victims?" posed Rosalie.

"Because, it's a choice of saving a dozen people versus a hundred. If we can get your brother," Donia gestured to Angela, "free of the spell of the Court and give us any hint as to how to destroy the problem, we can save more people."

"And bring my brother back," said Angela.

"At least for a while, if you destroy the Will, but perhaps more," supposed Donia.

"I can work with that small possibility. Thank you, Donia," said Angela.

"Don't thank me yet. I brought one more gift. Though I suppose this gift is more of my offering to the crusade than a personal gift to you. Here, you can use one of my hounds to find your way to your brother," said Donia.

.::-::.

"Are you sure that thing is reliable? Maybe we would be better for this, or even the vampires could help. Not that using the dead sounds any better, but that thing is a bit creepy," Paul said with wide eyes.

"Only a fey would be able to find another fey. Besides, Donia's hellhounds are legendary. To give back such a gift would be plain stupid," said an irritated Angela.

"What do you mean 'legendary'?"

"Did you read any of the books I gave you? Never mind, I think I can guess the answer. Hellhounds are used to seek out prey. They always find it, even if it takes years."

"We don't have years," Sam pointed out.

"No, but we are not searching all over the globe and all over time. We know they are here, we just don't know where exactly the hideout is located," said Angela.

"When do we know when we are close?" asked Jasper as he took in the surrounding woods.

"When they start to run."

"What if there are other faeries here? Would that interfere?" said Edward.

"No, unless they had a similar scent to me," said Angela.

"Do you think he is still the same as you?" asked Jasper as he tried to think of all possibilities.

"He has to," said Angela as she glared back at him.

"He will," said Rosalie, as she too glared back at her adopted family.

"How would you know? He has a point," said Paul.

"Because it just ran off," smirked Leah as she tore after the hound.

They all ran forward, following the hound until it came to a complete stop. There stood a young man in plain dress as he awaited their miniature army.

"Hello, Angela."


End file.
